Dispensing cap



United States Patent DISPENSING CAP Gilbert Hudson, Glendale, Califl, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Milton A. Lapin, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 14, 1955, Serial No. 546,581

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-272) This invention relates to caps and, more particularly, to an improved dispensing cap to be used in conjunction with containers or vials which are used for dispensing serums and the like for use in a hypodermic syringe.

It is the present custom to have serums and other sterile solutions which are to be injected in vials, or bottles, which have a rubber cap in the neck of the vial held sealed therein by a metal ferrule. The doctor usually takes the hypodermic syringe, places on it the needle which he is going to use, then inserts the needle through the rubber cap into the solution. He then withdraws as much of the solution through the needle as is required and then withdraws the needle from the cap. The rubber cap used is of the self-sealing type, and thus closes the opening made by the needle by itself. This practice has certain disadvantages, in that it rapidly dulls the hypodermic needle, whereby the injection becomes more painful, as far as the patient is concerned. A dull needle must be thrown away or resharpened and the number of times it is resharpened materially shortens its usable life. Either practice is expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cap which may be placed on a vial containing a closure of the type mentioned which enables a hypodermic syringe to be filled from the contents of the bottle without the presence of the needle which is used to inject the solution into the patient. Thus, the hypodermic needle is not affected by the filling of the syringe.

There are prior-art devices for generally accomplishing this purpose, such as are shown by the patents to Perelson, Nos. 2,667,986, and 2,342,215, which are adapted to be inserted into the neck of the vial in place of the present rubber stopper and which are, in effect, an integral part of the vial. Therefore, when the vial is empty, the complete assembly must be cast aside. This is expensive and, for that reason, these types of caps have not found great favor.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is the provision of a cap which may be repeatedly used and which need not be thrown away when the contents of a vial are exhausted.

Another object of the present invention is the pro vision of a cap for utilization on vials containing solutions which are to be employed with hypodermics, which cap is novel, useful, and inexpensive.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a dispensing cap for utilization on vials containing solutions for hypodermics which is usable with all presently known syringe types having a metal base.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a cap to be employed. with vials from which hypodermic solutions are withdrawn, which enables the withdrawal of solutions therefrom without contaminating the solutions or without contaminating the hypodermic needle which is employed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision Patented Dec. 17, 1957 2 of a dispensing cap which enables easier and more rapid filling of a syringe from a vial of hypodermic solution.

These and further objects of the invention are achieved by the provision of a dispensing cap which fits over a sealed vial containing a hypodermic solution. The cap holds a needle which is hollow and, when the cap is seated upon the vial, the needle penetrates the self-sealing rubber cover of the vial. The needle extends through the cover into the vial. The other end of the needle extends into a chamber. The chamber is closed above the needle by a self-sealing rubber diaphragm which is resilient and is shaped and supported so that if it is depressed below the point of the needle it will restore itself and thus cover the needle hermetically again. The walls of the cap extend above the diaphragm and form both a guide and a holding means for the end of a syringe. The base of the syringe can be inserted into the guide and holding means and pressed against the diaphragm. The diaphragm is then forced below the point of the hollow needle. The holding means fixes the syringe in place. The vial can then be inverted and the required amount of the hypodermic solution can then be drawn into the syringe. The withdrawal of the syringe enables the diaphragm to restore itself and cover the needle once again. The syringe can then be fitted with the needle which is to be used to make the injection.

The present invention is a dispensing cap which is formed so that it can be fitted over the bottle or' removed therefrom. Except for the sealing diaphragm, it is made of a substantially nonresilient material. It will be appreciated that the contents of the vial are not contaminated in any way of either the placing of the cap upon the bottle or its withdrawal. The sealing diaphragm is readily replaceable when exhausted. The same cap may be sterilized and used with any number of vials. It is not necessarily restrictedto being employed with only the vial with which it is first used. However, the cost of a dispensing cap is sufficiently low so that it also may be discarded, if desired. A sterilizing cap is also provided which may be set upon the dispensing cap for the purpose of maintaining the top of the rubber diaphragm sterile.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective drawing of the presently favored type of vial for holding fiuids and, positioned thereover, a dispensing cap in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a section of the embodiment of the invention in position over a vial; and

Figure 3 is a cross-section showing the arrangement of the parts of this invention when a syringe is applied for filling.

Referring now to Figure 1, there may be seen a vial or bottle 10, which contains solution which is used in injections. These vials are usually closed by a self-sealing rubber cap 12, which is made of material having a sufficient thickness to hermetically seal the contents and which also has the property of sealing any openings made therein. The cap is maintained closed and within the neck of the bottle by a metal rim or ferrule 14. Above the bottle is shown an embodiment of the invention which consists of a main or dispensing cap 16 and a closing or sterilizing cap 18. The dispensing cap fits over and grasps the neck. of the vial and seats itselfin intimate contact therewith. However, the dispensing cap can be withdrawn whenever desired, to be employed with other vials.

Referring now to the cross-section of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, it is made of substantially nonresilient material which may be plastic material, such as nylon. The dispensing cap has a clamping section 20, which is adapted to fit over and clasp the neck of a vial. This section has peripheral walls which have slots 21 and an inwardly extending lip 23. Thereby, these walls can be slid over the top of a vial and the lip is under the ferrule 14, so that the remainder of the cap is firmly seated on the vial.

The clamping section extends from a base section 22. The base section fits intimately over the vial top. A hollow needle 24 is held by the base section with one end extending into the vial and the other end extending into an opening or chamber defined by the wall 26 extending upward from the base. The needle pierces the self-sealing cap 12 when it is seated over the top of the vial. There is a groove formed in these walls for holding and positioning a diaphragm 28 over the end of the needle 24, thus also covering the chamber. The diaphragm is made of an elastic deformable material, such as rubber, and is given a shape to assist its being self-erecting. This is preferably conical. It is held so that the needle is within the cone. Thus, if the diaphragm is forced down to expose the needle upon removing that force, the diaphragm restores itself, thus covering the needle again and sealing the hole made by the needle.

The walls 30 above the groove for the diaphragm define an opening having a diameter large enough to admit the metal base of a syringe. Above these walls is the syringe guiding and holding portion 32 of the cap. This also may consist of peripheral walls which may be slotted, if desired. An inward radially extending flange 33 at the end of these walls defines an opening substantially similar to that defined by the walls 30. The base of a syringe is inserted into this opening and it is guided by the flange 33, together with the walls 30, to be firmly and properly positioned over needle 24. The syringe is inserted a sufficient distance until the flange can fit into a groove which is on a syringe between the metal base and glass, or graduate portion, of the'syringe. Thus, the syringe is firmly held in position. This is described in more detail in Figure 3.

The arrangement shown in Figure 2 also shows a sterilizing cap 18. This is a removable cap which has a chamber 36 therein, which can be filled with cotton which has been previously saturated with sterilizing solu tion for the purpose of keeping the diaphragm and the surrounding walls sterile.

Figure 3 shows the use of the present invention with a syringe. The structure shown in Figure 3 is identical with that shown in Figure 2, except that the cap 18 has been removed and the base, or loading portion, of a syringe 38 has been inserted into the guiding and holding section of the cap sufiiciently to push the diaphragm 28 below the point of the needle. The flange 33 snaps into a groove which is between the base and graduate portion of the syringe. The syringe is thus securely held in place. The bottle is inverted at this time, so that the solution from the bottle will be made available to the syringe through the hollow needle. The syringe is then manipulated to withdraw as much of the solution from the vial as is required. The vial is then re-inverted to its proper position, if desired. When the syringe is withdrawn, the diaphragm 28 quickly follows the withdrawing syringe and again erects itself over the needle, thus maintaining the solution and needle sterile. The cap does not pull off the bottle with the retracting syringe. The sterile cap can then be replaced, and the entire assembly is then maintained sterile and ready for employment for another occasion. When the vial is empty or at any desired time the dispensing cap is easily separated from the vial for use with another vial, or discarded, and leaves the vial as sealed as it was previously.

From the above description, it will be seen that the dispensing cap may be employed with any number of vials and is not expendable with the vial. Since the hypodermic needle is not required for filling a syringe, with this invention a material saving of the cost of these needles is assured. Since with this dispensing cap a needle having a larger bore than the customary hypodermic needle may be used, the filling of the syringe from a vial containing a fairly viscous solution is a much easier and more rapid operation than has been heretofore possible. With this dispensing cap it is possible to remove the resilient diaphragm 28 and replace it with another. The advantages of this are that when the cap is used with a large vial, after a number of repeated punctures, the diaphragm 28 (just as occurs to the diaphragm 12 of the vial itself when a dispensing cap is not used) is not as effective at preventing a contamination, or weakening, of the solution as at first. Thus, a new diaphragm may be snapped into the place of the old one in the dispensing cap, since it is attached to the walls merely by expanding into the groove provided therein. The solution in the vial may thus be kept up to strength. Another feature of this dispensing cap is that it places the needle within the vial at a position where the last few drops of solution may be obtained without any difficulty.

Accordingly, there has been described and shown a novel, useful, simple, and improved dispensing cap for filling hypodermic syringes.

I claim:

1. A dispensing cap for a vial having at one end of said cap peripheral walls defining an opening, an inwardly extending lip at one end of said walls, said walls being slotted to permit said cap to be fitted over the top of said vial, a hollow needle, means in said cap to support said needle with one end in said vial, a diaphragm of resilient material supported in said cap over the other end of said hollow needle, and syringe guiding and holding means at the other end of said cap including slotted walls defining a circular opening, an inwardly extending radial flange at one end of said walls reducing said opening to a size to enable the insertion of one end of said syringe, and an opening in said cap between said diaphragm and said walls having a diameter substantially equal to that defined by said radial flange.

2. A dispensing cap for a vial, said cap having a cylindrical portion adapted to fit over and grasp the top of the neck of said vial; a solid base portion; a hollow needle supported by said solid base portion and having its ends extending outwardly on either side thereof; a chamber portion including walls extending upwardly from said base portion, and a resilient diaphragm supported from said walls over one of said hollow needle ends; and a syringe guiding and holding portion including walls extending from said chamber portion and defining a cylindrical cavity and having a radially inwardly extending flange adapted to guide the base of a syringe into proper alignment with said one of said hollow needle ends and removably hold said syringe in said proper alignment.

3. A dispensing cap for a vial having a base portion; a hollow needle supported by said base portion and having its ends extending outwardly from either side of said base portion; slotted walls defining a cylindrical cavity extending from one side of said base portion, said slotted walls terminating in an inwardly extending lip and being adapted to fit over and grasp the top of a vial; a chamber portion including walls extending from the other side of said base portion defining an opening into which said needle extends, a resilient diaphragm mounted in said walls to cover said opening, and a syringe guiding and holding portion including walls extending from said chamber portion defining an opening for guiding the base of a syringe into proper alignment with said hollow needle.

4. A dispensing cap as recited in claim 3 wherein said diaphragm has a central conical portion, and said diaphragm is attached to the walls of said chamber portion with its edges below a point of said needle and the conical portion above the point of said needle.

5. A dispensing cap for a vial, said cap being made of a nonresilient material and having means at one end adapted to fit over and grasp the neck of a vial, a hollow needle, means to hold said hollow needle within said cap with one end extending into the space defined by said means to fit over and grasp the neck of a vial, a resilient diaphragm, means to support said resilient diaphragm within said cap over the other end of said hollow needle, a syringe guiding and holding portion at the other end of said cap, and a sterilizing cap adapted to fit over said syringe guiding and holding portion of said dispensing cap.

6. A dispensing cap as recited in claim 5 wherein said sterilizing cap includes a central chamber positioned over said resilient diaphragm when said sterilizing cap is fitted over said syringe guiding and holding portion of said dispensing cap.

7. A dispensing cap made of a substantially nonresilient material comprising a base portion, a hollow needle supported by said base portion with its ends extending on either side thereof, peripheral slotted walls extending from one side of said base and having an inwardly extending lip at the ends thereof, walls extending from the other side of said base defining a central cavity wherein one end of said needle extends, a radial slot in the interior of said walls, a diaphragm made of resilient material, said diaphragm being supported by said slots over said needle one end, said central cavity having a diameter in the portion above said slot to enable the guiding insertion of a syringe base therein, and peripheral slotted walls extending from said walls and having an inwardly radially extending flange at the ends thereof adapted to guide and removably hold the base of a syringe inserted therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,965 Hein Sept. 24, 1929 2,342,215 Perelson Feb. 22, 1944 2,608,972 Chrigstrom Sept. 2, 1952 2,667,986 Perelson Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 414,395 Germany June 3, 1925 

